Results 20,241-20,260 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The model of stand-alone maternity hospitals is not the norm internationally. In line with the National Maternity Strategy, Government policy is to co-locate all remaining maternity hospitals with adult acute services in order to provide optimal clinical outcomes. Co-location of maternity services with adult services provides mothers with access to a full range of medical and support services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: In 2016, the Herity Report concluded that the needs of the effective catchment population of University Hospital Waterford (UHW) could be accommodated from a single cath lab and recommended that the operating hours of the existing cath lab should be extended. Approval and funding has been provided for the additional staff required to facilitate this service expansion and five staff (Grade IV...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Midwifery Services Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The National Maternity Strategy proposes the development of a community midwifery service where hospital midwives, working as part of a multidisciplinary team, provide antenatal and postnatal care in the community. Implementation of the Strategy is being led by the National Women & Infants Health Programme. Regarding the Deputy's specific query, I have asked the HSE to reply to you...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Following the publication of the Health Service Executive's National Service Plan for 2019, the HSE is currently developing its Capital Plan for 2019. The HSE Capital Plan will determine the projects that can progress in 2019 having regard to the available capital funding, the number of large national capital projects currently underway and the relevant priority of each project. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Contracts (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to engaging with GP representatives on the development of modernised GP contractual arrangements. Talks between the State and the Irish Medical Organisation resumed in October 2018 and there was intensive engagement, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas. While some progress was made, there are a number of outstanding issues that need to be progressed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The requirements of the Symptomatic Breast Disease clinic in Letterkenny University Hospital continue to be kept under review to ensure that arrangements are in place to meet the present and future needs of the service. I advise that a second breast surgeon post on a locum basis is currently assigned to Letterkenny University Hospital.

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Following evaluation by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) in early 2017 of main construction tenders and the selection of preferred contractors, the final cost of the design, build, and equipment programme for which the NPHDB is responsible was €983m. Following the completion of the second stage of the two-stage tender procurement process in November 2018, the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Notwithstanding significant recruitment and retention challenges, including global shortages, considerable progress has been made in the past five years in growing the numbers of front-line staff working in the public health services, including doctors and nurses, as additional resources have become available. During 2018, the HSE increased the number of nurses and midwives employed by...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I am conscious that waiting times are often unacceptably long and of the burden that this places on patients and their families. Improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures is one of my top priorities and is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. I hope to publish the joint Department of Health, HSE, NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 shortly. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive is currently developing its Capital Plan for 2019. The HSE Capital Plan will determine the projects that can progress in 2019 and beyond having regard to the available capital funding, the number of large national capital projects currently underway and the relevant priority of each project. The requirements of the new children's hospital and other health capital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Agency Staff Data (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 400 together. As the deputy may be aware, it was necessary to close both orthopaedic theatres at Merlin Park to allow remedial work to be completed. This remedial work facilitated the re-opening of one orthopaedic theatre in March 2018. In order to restore full elective orthopaedic services, the Hospital Group undertook a tender process for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: As of 1 January 2019, Children's Health Ireland (CHI) governs the provision of paediatric services in Dublin at the Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght sites and will open services at the OPD Urgent Care Centre on the Connolly hospital campus in Mid 2019. Under the legislation establishing CHI, the boards of Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals voluntarily transferred their assets and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: In August 2018, I published the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy which provides the framework within which a system-wide health reform programme will be advanced. The Strategy contains specific commitments in relation to improving governance and accountability across the health service. The task of identifying the optimal set of health structures including national and regional...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: The General Scheme of a Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill is being finalised at present and will be submitted to Government shortly. The General Scheme will include provisions for a soft opt-out system of consent for deceased organ donation.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Recruitment (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: As Minister for Health, the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives has been a consistent priority for me. Challenges exist around recruitment and retention of these professions, against a backdrop of a shortage at a global level. However, despite these challenges, the data shows that the HSE has managed to increase the number of nurses and midwives employed. A total of 867 WTEs,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Staff (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and €75 million was allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in Budget 2019 to provide treatment for patients. I hope to publish the joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 for inpatient, day case and outpatients shortly. The plan will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Recruitment (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 112 together. As Minister for Health, I recognise that hospitals are increasingly operating at or above capacity, with year-round demand pressures that are further challenged over the winter months. It is against this background that the Health Service Capacity Review 2018 recommended an increase in acute hospitals beds of over 2,600 by 2031 to support...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (5 Feb 2019)

Simon Harris: Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland; one in two smokers will die from a tobacco related disease. The policy document "Tobacco Free Ireland" sets out over 60 recommendations, with the overall aims of denormalising smoking in our society, protecting children from the harms of tobacco, enforcing, regulating and legislating for tobacco activities and products,...